On Thin Ice Ch. 02

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Could they really be ready for the next step?
15.7k words
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Part 2 of the 3 part series

Updated 10/22/2022
Created 09/17/2010
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MugsyB
MugsyB
2,723 Followers

Most of his teammates steered clear of Zane during the first week of the road trip. Adam tried to bring him out of his funk but all he got was a dark look for his efforts. After Zane twisted an ankle trying to score during a practice, his mood took a turn for the worse. Lucky for him, the injury wasn't bad. He was just sore for a couple days. He wanted to blame Meg for the move, but she wasn't around and he knew it was foolish anyway. They hadn't even talked since their last night together before he'd left.

That night when he'd wanted to do more than breathe on her. When she'd felt so soft and warm and she'd smelled so good. He'd wanted to breathe her in and taste her.

He shook his head and looked around. The team was waiting to board the plane to Vancouver and the guys had left him pretty much on his own in one row of seats.

I guess I have been a jerk lately. He smirked as he recalled his short conversations with Adam, the only guy who'd been willing to approach him. He sought out the other man and moved to sit beside him. Adam glanced up from his newspaper and lifted an eyebrow at Zane.

"I'm sorry," Zane said.

"For what?"

"For being an asshole this week."

Adam chuckled. "That's putting it mildly."

"Fine. I'm sorry for being a major asshole."

"I forgive you."

They didn't say anything for a moment but Zane felt a little better sitting next to him.

"So you and Meg must have had a fight?"

Zane tensed at Adam's question and clenched his jaw. "Why would you say that?"

"She seems to be the only one able to turn you into this major asshole you've been." Adam folded up his newspaper and tossed it on the seat next to him. "At least, you've never been this cranky before she moved to New Jersey."

Zane let his breath out on a frustrated sigh and rubbed a hand through his short hair. "I thought it was going to be great having her here."

"And it's not?"

"No, I mean, yeah, it is pretty awesome but...we've never lived together." Zane knew even as he spoke that he was telling a gigantic lie. The problem wasn't living with her. It was living with her and not throwing himself at her every chance he got. He still didn't know what he'd been trying to accomplish that night but he knew it had felt good.

Adam smiled and nodded. "Spend some extra time at the arena or let Mike ask her out like he wants to and then you'll see less of her."

Zane tensed at the mention of Mike taking Meg out. That would not be a good idea. He already wanted to crunch the man against the boards and they were on the same team.

Adam's low laugh brought Zane's eyes back to his face. "Well, whatever you do, Z, you'd better make your mind up quick. Women like Meg don't sit around waiting for the prince, you know?"

Zane felt the heat creep up his neck. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Adam gave him a pointed look but their conversation was cut short. They rose with the rest of the team and walked together to board the plane.

****

They showed some improvement in the game against Vancouver. They meshed better as a team and Zane managed to pull his head out of his ass to score a goal. As he skated past the bench, high-fiving his teammates, he imagined Meg's voice in his ear, telling him it was about time. It made him smile and it earned him a few odd looks from the guys nearest him as he sat down.

When he got home early in the morning a couple days later, Meg was gone. Even though he knew she was at work, Zane was disappointed that she wasn't there to greet him. Then he shook his head and dropped his bags in the hall before heading into the kitchen. There, in the middle of the otherwise bare fridge, was a note from Meg.

Congrats on the game, Z. Order pizza for dinner tonight and I'll bring dessert home to celebrate you pulling your head out of your ass at last! M.

Zane grinned at her words and pulled the note off the fridge. At least she wasn't pissed at him anymore. Now he couldn't wait for her to get home and tell him about the last two weeks at the school and to remind him not to be such a jerk on the ice.

He guessed the time she'd be home and ordered the pizza early in the evening. The front door opened just as he hung up the phone and he hurried down the hall to find Meg walking in with a bakery box in her hands.

She looked up and their eyes met. She grinned and Zane felt something zing through him at the happy expression on her face. It was obvious that she'd forgiven him, or at least decided not to dwell on what had happened that night before he'd left.

"Hey you! Come take this pie so I can get my boots off."

Zane rushed over and took the pie but before he moved away, he bent down to give her a noisy kiss on the cheek.

"Whoa, you're cold!" He drew back with a smile. "I'll go turn the fireplace on and get you a blanket."

Meg laughed and shoved him away. "I'm fine. It is chilly out there but nothing I can't handle. We're from Minnesota, remember?"

He laughed as he carried the bakery box into the kitchen. He set it down on the counter and peeked inside. Lemon meringue, his favorite.

Just as he dropped the lid back down, Meg came up behind him and threw her arms around his shoulders. He straightened, his body tensing as she gave him a familiar squeeze. Her scent rose to his nostrils, mingled with the chill from outdoors and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning.

"I missed you." Her voice was muffled and he could feel her breath through the back of his shirt.

Drawing in a fortifying breath, he turned and put his arms around her. "I missed you, too. I'm sorry for...before."

She shrugged but didn't look at him. "It's fine. I'm just glad you're back." With a laugh, she pulled away and smiled at him. "You know, I think your house is haunted."

Zane laughed and dropped his arms from her. "What?"

Meg shuddered and moved around him to open the pie box. "There were weird noises at night when you were gone. I started to sleep with my hockey stick just so I'd have a way to defend myself."

"What are you doing?" Zane watched as she pulled the pie out of the box.

"I'm starving."

"I ordered pizza. It should be here in twenty minutes."

"I can't wait that long." She reached into the drawer and pulled out two forks. "Here. Congratulations on the win against Chicago last night." She clinked her fork against his and then sliced a bite of pie for herself.

Zane laughed. "We can't eat dessert first!"

Meg rolled her eyes. "Who are you? The dinner police? Live a little, Zane." She slid the pie across the counter towards him.

Well, he didn't need to be told twice. He scooped a bite of pie for himself and joined Meg. They didn't say much as they picked away at a quarter of the pie. The doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of the pizza and they both looked down to survey the damage they'd done to the pie.

"There's still enough for more later." Meg gave him a sheepish grin as she set her fork down.

He laughed as he walked away to answer the door.

They sat in front of the TV with their plates and drinks and chatted in between mouthfuls.

"I can't believe how great the school is, Z. I feel like I've finally settled in and the teachers and kids are great."

Zane lifted his eyebrows. "You expected the little punks to give you a hard time?"

She laughed and nudged his thigh with one foot. "Don't be mean. I didn't expect it, but they're teenagers. Giving adults a hard time is part of being a teenager. Don't you remember what you were like in school?"

Zane thought back over the years and nodded. "I guess so. I was always too busy thinking about hockey to bother with the teachers though."

"That's true." Meg sipped her drink and smiled. "Well, there were some real smartasses in my classes."

"I'm glad your first few months have been so great. Why didn't you call and tell me about it?"

Meg laughed. "Please! You needed to focus on hockey."

Zane couldn't argue with that. He still didn't feel like he was out of this funk he'd been in, but he knew he was getting better.

They fell silent as the sounds of gunfire and explosions rose on the TV. The pizza gradually disappeared between them and they lounged on the couch, stretched out with their feet on table.

"You'll come to my game on Friday, right?"

"Of course. You got me those tickets a while ago." Meg turned to smile at him. "I thought I'd ask if Nikki wanted to come with me. She seems to be into hockey."

"As much as you are?"

Meg laughed. "No, but I like her anyway." She gave him a speculative look. "You know, you might like her. She's really pretty and I think she's single."

Zane could handle a lot of things but right now, he could not deal with her trying to set him up. To cover up his discomfort, he scoffed and looked away. "I don't have time for women right now."

Meg laughed but didn't mention it again. She talked about the hockey league she'd been playing in. She enjoyed the games but sometimes felt like she needed to get more of a workout in between.

"You should come to one of my practices, Meg," Zane heard himself suggesting.

"What?" She sat up and gave him an incredulous stare. "Would I even be allowed on the ice?"

"Not during the actual practice but we could stay late and work on some stuff if you want."

Meg's eyebrows shot up and she smirked. "You think you could coach me, or something?"

Zane grinned. "You know it. There are a ton of moves I could show you."

Meg looked away with a nervous laugh. They fell silent again and Zane forced himself to stay where he was and not reach for her. It could be all right, holding her. They'd often lain together while watching movies but something had changed since she'd moved into his house and he didn't want to upset the balance.

Not tonight, anyway.

A little while later, Meg went to bed and left Zane alone in the living room. He stared at the empty spot on the couch and clenched his teeth.

Whatever had possessed him to ask her to live with him? Why didn't he just skate over his own toes? That'd be less painful than the untouched member in his pants.

With a groan, Zane took himself to bed.

****

The Prudential Center was noisy and crowded and messy but Meg loved it. She loved all hockey arenas and loved the anticipation before a game started. Tonight she was excited because it was the first time she'd be seeing Zane play since moving. In fact, she hadn't seen him in a live game since early in the previous season, when she'd managed to get tickets to a game in Minnesota.

Nikki had agreed to come along and Meg was glad for the company. She would have enjoyed the game on her own but she was happy to have made such a good friend so soon after moving.

"I can't remember the last time I went to a game," Nikki commented as they made their way down the steps to their seats.

As they sat down, Meg looked around and grinned. Zane had outdone himself with these seats. They were just to the right of the home team's bench and had an amazing view of the ice.

"Yeah? I didn't get to see a lot of Wild games either."

Nikki grinned. "Is this like cheating on your team then? Are you going to cheer for the Devils?"

Meg laughed and nodded. "I have to. Zane won't let me get away with anything else."

"Zane?" Nikki stared at her and then turned her head as the players began to file out onto the ice. "Zane Pritchard?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Meg blushed as she saw the big white #9 take to the ice. "He's my best friend."

"You're kidding me."

Meg shook her head and watched the guys start to skate around their zone.

"No way are you friends with Zane Pritchard."

Meg laughed and glanced over at Nikki. "I promise. I'm even living with him right now."

"No way!" Nikki all but shrieked at her. "I can't believe it."

"Sometimes, neither can I."

They laughed together and Meg suspected that Nikki still didn't quite believe her. At least, not until Zane stopped in front of their section and pounded on the glass with one hand until they looked up. He waved, a big grin on his face and Meg waved back.

"Holy cow." Nikki's tone was one of shock. "You do know each other."

Meg laughed and nodded. "We grew up together in Minneapolis. When he got drafted to Jersey, we stayed in touch and he was the first one I called when I got the job at West Forest."

"That's unbelievable."

Sometimes, Meg had to agree that it was. Most of the time, she was just grateful that he was such a great friend and such a good guy.

"You know, he's single."

Nikki laughed and shook her head. "That's a surprise."

"Why? Don't tell me you don't think he's cute."

"Oh, he definitely is one of the cuties, especially since he still has all his teeth."

The women laughed at that.

"You're telling me that you're not seeing each other?"

Meg flushed and gave a nervous laugh. "What? No, why would you say that?"

"You just told me you live together." Nikki gave her a sly smile and shrugged. "Usually that indicates a closer relationship than friendship."

"Well, we're not." Meg hoped she sounded firm. "We're just friends, really."

"You've never dated? Not once?"

Meg shook her head, her mind flooded with images and memories from their childhood together. They'd never dated, never done more than kissed cheeks or hugged, and until recently, never lived together. Anytime they even got close to the question of being together, neither of them was willing to have the discussion.

"I'm surprised."

Meg sighed. "I know it's hard for people to understand that we're just friends but it's true. He's great and I can admit he's handsome but we just don't think of each other that way." Well, I do but I'm pretty sure he doesn't. Not often, anyway. Meg didn't think she needed to share that much with her new friend.

"I don't have a problem believing you're friends just because you're a woman and he's a guy." Nikki shifted in her seat and brushed her blond hair back off her face. "I've just noticed that you never really look at other guys."

"What? When?" Meg laughed and nudged Nikki's shoulder with hers. "We've only been out together a few times."

Nikki grinned and nudged her back. "True, but I see you at school every day and there are quite a few good-looking guys there. And even tonight, we came right to our seats and you've barely taken your eyes off of him."

Meg blushed but couldn't stop looking at Zane in spite of Nikki's words. She liked to watch him skate, so what? He was talented and was so at ease that you'd think he'd been born at center ice.

Nikki didn't mention it again and Meg was grateful. The players skated off and the ice cleaners came out to smooth the ice before the start of the game. Meg and Nikki chatted while they waited for the game to start but Meg's mind kept drifting back to their conversation.

Was it really so obvious that Meg liked Zane? That sounded too juvenile but there was no way she'd admit to anything stronger. Sure, they were best friends and she loved him that way but there was no way she'd let herself feel more.

She knew Zane too well. She knew he wouldn't feel the same way.

The lights dimmed and a few minutes later, the game was underway, allowing Meg to push aside her confused thoughts at last.

****

"Can I stick around with you guys?" Adam skated alongside Zane following their practice the next afternoon.

Zane glanced at him and then over at where Meg was checking her skates on the visitor's bench. "Why?"

Adam laughed. "Relax. I won't hit on her, Z."

Zane scowled. "I know that. That's not why-"

"I think she's cool, all right. I just want to hang out with you guys." Adam scooped a puck onto the end of his stick and bounced it once before losing control of it. "Besides, I could use the extra work."

With a laugh, Zane nodded his agreement. "All right. She'd probably like it if you stayed anyway."

"Cool."

"Hey, Meg. You ready yet?"

She looked up and grinned. She looked so different with her hair tied back and all her hockey gear on. She was even wearing one of his old junior hockey jerseys and that made Zane grin. He couldn't believe she'd kept it all these years.

"Sure am." She reached for her helmet. For practice, she had just a basic helmet without the face mask.

A few of the guys who'd lingered after practice looked over as she glided onto the ice. Zane looked back at them and groaned when he saw Mike break away from the group to skate towards them.

"Meg! What are you doing here?" He scraped to a stop before her and laughed. "And all geared up?"

Meg smiled. "Zane invited me to skate after your practice was over."

"You play?"

She narrowed her eyes and Zane stifled a laugh. He knew how she hated that some men thought hockey was only for guys.

"Is that a problem?"

Mike glanced from her to Zane and Adam and then back again. Meg was waiting for his reply. He laughed and it sounded a little apprehensive. "No, it's cool."

"Good." She skated around him and went for a few of the loose pucks.

Zane watched her go for a second before pushing off to join her. Adam and Mike followed at a slower pace and the rest of the players filed off the ice, having had enough work for the day.

"What do you want to work on?" Zane asked as he approached Meg.

"I don't know. I haven't done drills in a long time." Meg slid a puck out from the bunch near the boards and skated up towards the empty net at one end.

"Really?" Zane grabbed a puck and followed.

"Hey, Meg!"

They slowed and turned to see Mike gesturing at them.

"You want to play a little two-on-two?"

Meg laughed and Zane shook his head with a frown. "Don't mind him, Meg. He's just being a show-off."

"It's fine." She raised her voice to call back down the ice to Mike. "Not right now, Mike. Maybe after I've warmed up."

"Awesome! You can be on my team!"

"Fuck that!" Zane's response was swift.

Meg glanced at him with a grin and reached over to give him a push. "Don't be stupid, Zane. You know I'm always on your side."

Her words, casual as they were, still warmed Zane right down to his bones.

They ignored Mike and Adam for the next little while. As they skated a few laps and took shots at the net, they talked about everything and nothing. Meg told him she'd enjoying spending time with Nikki at the game and was happy to have a girlfriend here. Zane talked about how glad he was that his game was improving. He'd scored twice in the game last night and had been a major contributor in their win over the Rangers.

After warming up, Zane explained some of the drills their coach liked to put them through. Meg went through them with Zane and Mike and Adam joined them for a few. When Meg was sweating and panting for breath, she figured she'd had enough.

"You can't stop now!" Mike exclaimed with a laugh. "We have to have a shootout."

The other three glanced at each other before looking down the ice at the unguarded nets.

Zane rolled his eyes. "Can't have a shootout without a goalie, Mike."

"Oh, right. Well, how about the two-on-two?" Mike's grin was all for Meg and Zane wanted to push him down on the ice. "First team to score nine?"

Meg looked at Zane, as if to gauge his reaction. He shrugged, leaving the decision up to her.

"All right, Mike. Let's play."

Mike hooted in excitement and claimed her for his team in his next breath. Zane didn't even have a chance to protest before they skated off towards center ice.

"Relax, Z. You know how Mike is."

Even Adam's reasonable words didn't stop Zane from glaring at Mike as they followed to face off.

It was a light-hearted, fun game, in spite of Zane's mixed up feelings. It went fast since they didn't have any goalies and blocking shots was tricky with only two on each team. Still, it was a good game and Zane found himself laughing more than frowning as it went on.

MugsyB
MugsyB
2,723 Followers